"In the Mix" -- Audio Participation

Most scriptwriters background does not include audio "mixing" in the physical sense. A highly developed skill, this requires an easy familiarity with equipment, method, and timing generally guaranteed to make our heads swim. But there are some more readily grasped functions basic to this process where your participation can be valuable as part of the production team.

Your first experience with this probably comes as the result of the need to conduct interviews or elicit comments from key figures in your script during taping. As we have mentioned earlier, as "director," it is your responsibility to assure the contents of what is recorded though early script provision, precise questions, the entering of correct data into a teleprompter, or the printing of cue cards. Making certain there are no extraneous noises during taping (i.e. telephones, conversation, heating or air conditioning "hum,")listening for tone, nervousness and "ers" and "uhs" in the middle of a sentence for necessary re-takes, judging when an interview is over -- or when you are unlikely to get a better sounding comment or comments -- are the more subtle but no less important contributions you make to a professionally done audio.

Additionally, you may attend the studio taping of your narration. Most studios consist of soundproof small rooms which may or may not include a glassed-in booth where the narrator sits, a large mixing board for the audio engineer, a plethora of mikes, cords, tapes, earphones, and tape recorders guaranteed to impress if not intimidate the uninitiated. Although your input may be helpful in these circumstances, to be an asset rather than a difficulty requires some knowledge of proper behavior and editing parameters as well as clarity of communication.

We'll assume your narrator has been provided with a script and pronunciations well before the session. This reduces the time spent in a session -- and therefore money. Generally narrators and audio engineers bill by the hour, not to mention the equipment/studio rental fees. It is most important -- especially if there is no sound booth per se -- that you remain absolutely quiet during taping. No loud turning of script pages, slurping of coffee, tapping of fingers allowed! Some mikes are extremely sensitive and its just common sense to assume all are.

Do allow your narrator a "run-through" with the engineer to set sound levels. This also allows you to assess what may need to be adjusted in terms of emphasis or voice and become accustomed to hearing your words spoken by another. During takes, it's usual to mark places on your script that may need work. In some rare cases, the first time through is all that's needed. More often, there will be slips of the tongue, a pause or two, some volume adjustment, or misinterpretation that will require others.

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